Hockey is changing FAST... THIS is why..

#hockey #nhl #nhl23
The game is changing FAST, In more ways than one. In this video, we look at HOW this is happening & what this means for the future of the NHL & hockey as a whole.
This video is sponsored by Hockey Helps The Homeless. A not-for-profit hockey charity with over 20,000 donors, 3,000 players, and 1,000 volunteers that participates annually, and together, we “play with purpose.” Since 1996, HHTH has granted over $21 million to face-off against homelessness.
LINK to donate the Sept 30th Barrie Tournament: tournament.hhth.com/site/Dona...

[@heyblondie28]

I'm fine with the skill level continuing to evolve, but what I'm not fine with is every year a new ad is put in on the ice and now they're putting add's on jerseys. It's cheapening the brand and kinda ruining the aesthetic of the game for me :(

[@hockeypsychology]

Agreed.

[@joshmartin1938]

Yep been following the Blues for a long.long time but I'm beginning to lose interest. Canceled my partial season package this year after many years. The price of parking and 1 beer? Piff.

[@Zazzaro703]

Double edged sword. The ads on the jerseys def just seem tacky and lame. However, the salary cap will go up because of them. It’s actually projected to go up a lot over the next 3 years. Hockey is a brutal game and the players are tough as nails. Football is brutal too but you don’t take sticks and pucks to the face in football and getting open ice blindside hit or slammed into the boards is comparable to NFL hits. I’m all for all the players getting higher salaries and teams also being able to keep together a couple more players rather than signing their superstar and losing lesser role players because of it.

[@Bruh-jr2ep]

As a European I can just say that you haven't seen anything yet😂😂😂 (And I also hope that they don't ruin NHL jerseys)

[@hughjainisis1683]

NHLs trying to move away from ticket sales being the main revenue source so unfortunately ads are the name of the game now. Price we pay for the NHL continuing to exist.

[@olderthandadirt]

I think it has always been the case that when you have a skilled player who looks at the game differently you will get something really special. There is the story of Gretzky as a kid watching a hockey game on TV and he had a pencil and pad of paper and he was keeping track of where the puck travelled. He explained to his Dad that where the lines crossed is where the puck is most often and that is where he will be.

[@clamboni9]

Don't know if that story is true, but it makes perfect sense, because wherever the puck was going is where Gretzky always was.

[@_b0h4z4rd7]

@@clamboni9 It's obviously the opposite... the puck always went where Gretzky was ;-)

[@ericmccambly4404]

Gretzky was a special player the best at a time which saw the nhl with little to no contact. Enter the 90s and the physical contact and clutch and grab era his production slowed.and was even vocal about it. It would have been fun to see what type of careers guys like Lindros, Yzerman, Sakic, Roenick, and even Mario had they been players when Gretzky started or in todays game. They in my mind were the most creative and best players because they had to do it during a time where they were specifically targeted to be more physical or to bother these guys with the clutch and grab. They dealt with it and still succeeded in believe if they were in the current paddy cakes system they would have been able to double there points output.

[@user-ob3dc9os9y]

I'm pretty sure it was his dad that got him to that pencil and paper exercise. I saw him talk about it in an interview years ago.

[@LC-ht7sg]

Little or no contact? Whaaaat? You’re so sadly mistaken. So, so wrong. The 80s was the roughest, toughest era (the 70s was the dirtiest) hence the enforcer. Wow, you couldn’t be more wrong with an opinion. I can’t even….

[@Therealcoachie]

First of all, an increase of skill at the highest level is always great to watch. The problem with this Instagram hockey is though, young players neglect the more important part of the game, playing without and against the Puck. In the extreme this could lead to basketballisation of hockey. Which is, in my humble opinion, less attractive, and needs less over all skill. Focusing more on what zou do without the Puck i.e. most if the game, makes a lot more sense

[@hockeypsychology]

Bang on

[@andrewkratz226]

Great point. Agreed

[@Troyjanwarrior1]

I had no clue basketbalisation was a word until now.Thank you.I learned something new today haha.

[@laronda10]

Agree, although if they dont work on those they ultimately fail. I personally think cale makar is the perfect example of new age skill with the right dicsipline. Which is why I think he had sucess earlier then the others.

[@brasilionaire255]

Agreed but that's cuz american fans didn't like the low scores. But I like how this video basically says pussies can't play the game the way it was intended. hahahaha

[@brianlowe3831]

I kind of find it interesting how you didn't mention Patrick Kane once I. Your video talking about the evolution of skill in the NHL. Arguably the best American born player to ever play the game. His stick skills were absolutely unrivaled for years.

[@bc1173]

Though he is definitely the best american born player ever, l don't know if there was a season in which he was the most skilled player. Maybe in his Art Ross season.

[@SuperShamuu]

Probably cause he was the unrivalled second to Datsyuk lol

[@marcussorensen5549]

Y’all disrespect Kane for no reason

[@savagechannel9048]

@@marcussorensen5549 they trippin

[@candystickdonut]

Uhhhhhhhh Mathew’s

[@Sathtana]

I played for about 6 years, and while I do miss it, the level of skill required to be successful in the current and future NHL meta is going to seriously require that defensive players become more and more offensively minded. Getting yourself to the point or even doing everything you can to cut off routes for higher skilled shooters and passers is going to be the most important thing in the coming years. Players like Bedard are going to only get better by the time their ticket comes up.

[@hockeypsychology]

Exactly. Scoring comes in 5-7 year waves. There’s always a spike in offence during that span, then as defences, goalies & systems evolve, it eventually retracts.

[@steverochon1620]

I am 67, and my playing career ended at the collegiate level in 1975 . I should not be the type of individual in your audience, but I am. I love the way you describe the future of the world’s greatest game, and I’m enthused about the changes you describe. After growing up avidly watching and playing the game, I dropped it like a hot rock, primarily because of the Philadelphia Flyers, their style of play, and because the league tried to copy their formula. I missed some great hockey as a result: the Islanders, the Oilers, GUY F’ING LE FLEUR! I came back to the game after seeing the rule changes in the 2000’s that allowed skilled players to be skilled. As for what you describe, bring it on. The game should be more skilled, more diverse, certainly more “brown,” should inspire kids to push the game’s envelope. Good for you that you recognize and appreciate this vision!

[@nap871]

Yeah but the flyers knew how to handle the USSR. They had their number.

[@the1andonly759]

Personally, I love the level of skill that’s coming into the game, but I do miss the fighting & physical elements that the early 2000s & 90s had. I don’t think the game will ever revert back to that, and if it doesn’t, that’s ok too considering the level of talent coming into the league. Great vid.

[@hockeypsychology]

Thank you, love hearing that. I loved that style of hockey too. I do feel though that game is truly in a special place right now with the skill. Very similar to the NFL & it’s young crop of elite quarterbacks, the NHL has an abundance of incredible young talent that will transform the game entirely with their creativity.

[@jessemacneil2723]

I do miss that era . it was a blend of talent and physical .. It was were losing lets get physical and at times when they would ramp up the hitting it changed the outcome in the game

[@unclejake1476]

As much as that era was fun to watch it was not as much fun to be apart of. I grew up with some amazing talent whos only path to the game needed was fighting. Most enforcers didn’t love fighting it was just their only path to play the game they love at the highest level. The biggest and best change is how we develop our young players through the ADM. Less focus on winning and more focus on becoming skilled players who love playing the game. As someone who burnt out of hockey in high school I would have been a completely different player if I had been born 25 years later.

[@colinmackenzie6277]

You took the words right out of my mouth... Now waiting for the next level Goalie stunts to block the Puck!

[@The-Dom]

yeah i love old school hockey, but it's hard to deny the quality of the game now. There will always be grit and some level of enforcing, the game is too dangerous to not police, and a striped shirt and a whistle isnt enough when things get heated. The game will always need the nuclear deterrent.

[@davidrudderham7659]

I’m all for the increased level of skill. I just want to emphasize that this is still a team sport and that all that fancy stick work can also be replaced by a simple pass. I always admired the players that “came 2nd” to some other superstar, recognizing that they themselves were extraordinary talents. Gretzky was an all time great, but so was Messier. Sid was and still is a generational talent that inspired millions. But when you think about it, so did Malkin. Hockey still needs players that are smart because most of the time you don’t have the puck on your stick. And a pass is always faster than a skater. And it’s not like Messier and Malkin and Peter Foresburg weren’t fantastic scorers and stick handlers themselves. The future of hockey isn’t developing a specific skill set but rather knowing all the skill sets to ensure the best possible outcome for the entire line, not just one person. You could have a first line center that doesn’t score a thing. But if the wings next to him are putting up 40+ goals a season obviously he’s doing something right.

[@johnnyc.31]

Best comment on here, and precisely why Hockey can’t be dominated by a single superstar, unlike some other sports.

[@Matanumi]

yet "superstars" seem to dominate the talk over a team dynasty

[@alanniederlitz8630]

ABSOLUTELY i do believe your analysis and i think its GREAT for the game. Its WAAAY more exciting to see players pull off the lacrosse moves etc. The stick handling skills. Amazing stuff...

[@WildcardASMR]

I'm a very new fan of hockey -- that is, I just started following it around two months ago -- but I love the focus on skill flushing into the competition. It makes for a far more interesting Cup (and hell, even preseason). But I share in the lamentations of many who probably miss the fighting of old.

[@polishpat95]

Great video bro. I 100% agree with you! That's the kind of channel I'm talking about, don't change. I just moved from Barrie literally a month ago down to St Catherine's (Niagara region). Sucks i won't make it to the tournament.

[@hockeypsychology]

Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed the video. Check hockey helps the homeless’ website, they may have a tournament down there this year!

[@cjgamble9323]

Spot on video analysis of how the game got to its current state. It will be tremendous to see the game continue to evolve this way. There will be a premium paid for younger players coming up who can play with this level of skill and athleticism but can add a physical, gritty element to the game within the current rules. Will be great to see.

[@donpietruk1517]

You're missing the genesis of the skill game with the Red Wings bringing in the Russian and Swedish players who started this evolution. Players like Fedorov, Kozlov, Larionov and Lidstrom changed the game with their skating and passing. Bobby Orr was also doing this stuff back in the 1960s.

[@matt75hooper]

Booby Orr with today's space age equipment ? He would be a human highlight reel.

[@Andrew-pn1kq]

@@matt75hooper Incorrect. Today's players are more skilled.

[@matt75hooper]

@@Andrew-pn1kq Been involved in Hockey for 60 years. Question for ya related directly to your response : I get to transport 6 Players from 1950 through 1980 to the 2022 NHL. You get to transport 6 Players from 1980 through 2022 back to 1950. All time travelers have to use the equipment of their new era. They can 2 months to adjust to their new era. How do you see this unfold ? Remember- you can take any 6 you want. As can I. You have the floor.

[@Polytrout]

​​@matt75hooper Bobby Orr would be a human highlight reel today with his 1970s equipment and skills. If he had today's modern equipment he would be better than McDavid (I'm 60 years old and so I might be biased in favour of Bobby Orr; he played most of his career post expansion when NO players in the NHL came from Russia or any Soviet Bloc countries, most Swedes and Finns were in the WHA and the U.S. wasn't a large producer of superb players like today) However, I think that I can safely say that Bobby Orr was the greatest player of the 20th century.

[@matt75hooper]

@@Polytrout You neglect to include if Orr played today many of his teammates would also be Russian & Euro players. His supporting cast would be even better than 1970. Making Orr's dominance even more pronounced.

[@jocksmachina7759]

One thing I see is the return of the wrist shot. For many years the snap shot became the new way to beat goalies and the old “slower” joe sakic/marcus naslund style wrist shot was out. But now you see guys opting for the increased accuracy of the wrist shot again. Might be my imagination but it is something I noticed happening more now.

[@denisrho1019]

Great comments and analysis, your hockey sense is awesome!

[@Machtyn]

It is inevitable. The NBA has gone through this several times in my lifetime. With the introduction of the dunk, then the 3 point line, then the ever reducing shot clock, players have had to get better. In the NHL, and other leagues, the de-emphasis on fighting means the fans have to be entertained in other ways. And what better way than to have the players show off superhuman skills?!

[@hockeypsychology]

Very true. NBA saw that shift when that happened & now we’re seeing it with the MHL

[@janne5942]

I don't completely agree on your comment, the last part i disagree, i mean more skilled players hasn't getting any new people to watch hockey or some older people who used to watch the games in where i live.

[@jasonsabourin2275]

Soooo... Uh, how's the NBA doing these days Anyway?..... SMH

[@jasonsabourin2275]

@@hockeypsychology Yeah, good luck with that one. 🤤

[@bc1173]

The NHL is boring to watch. Viewership has gone down in the last 20 years despite the population of NA increasing by tens of millions.

[@keithjakala8250]

Fantastic segment there did everything right on the head and I love the direction NHL is heading after the lockout cleaning up the game saved hockey because it got ugly in the decades prior to that so glad to see hockey is back playing the way it's supposed to be played!

[@jedmonds280]

i feel like its gonna be a infinite cycle, players will keep getting more and more skillful to the point that ultra defensive players will come thru and change the game and then back to ultra offensive players etc etc

[@massivecumshot]

So many more year round hockey resources now to take advantage of, like plastic ice, graphite sticks and training aids that expand the ice time experience. Lots of coaches and trainers offer year round conditioning, diet and drill choices that a prospect can work on their game for many hours every day, regardless of weather or location. Also, the players are now on average 5 inches taller than the average NHLers of the 70s, making their strides longer and skating faster. It's exciting, as long as they don't make it look like soccer with no hitting or fights.

[@hockeypsychology]

Very true. Hockey has become a 12 month a year activity for most kids

[@Based_D]

Absolutely love word hockey is going and this is coming from a 40+ who was a defensive defenseman & loved to play the body. I work at a small rink in Minnesota that's privately owned so we do a lot of off-season training and I see a lot of great young talent coming up! Just wait and see, hockey is only getting better yet!

[@LL-ce8dr]

I really like this channel and this is the 2nd video i watched today and im a very Huge Hockey Fan that live this quality style if hockeyband you got great content...i wish Fkyers had more Skill...lol.. i livevthis new verybhigh speed Hockey its fun to watch 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🦅❤️

[@hockeypsychology]

Thanks for watching! Glad you like the vids!

[@mikemayer8240]

Great video, big thanks, and keep them coming!

[@hockeypsychology]

Thanks for watching!

[@dennismakarov93]

One of my favorite hockey channels and definitely one of the underrated ones. THG and LR99 are dope too

[@hockeypsychology]

Love both also. Thanks buddy

[@dennismakarov93]

@@hockeypsychology no problem man

[@jasonsabourin2275]

No, No...... THANK YOU, MAN.

[@JoeyVilleneuve]

I think the best simple way to describe the current NHL, is that players have started to understand that hockey isn't a 2-dimensional sport (east-west and north south) there's an entire 3rd dimension now being used (the vertical axis - up to the shoulders for regular play and cross bar for shots). Plays are being made in the air, not just along the ice. While players like Datsyuk were testing things before, I think the main factor that started this, was Sydney Crosby's RBK commercial in 2006 or so, where he does some "Pavel Barber" type move. Kids who saw that started trying it and growing up with it. We're talking guys like Zegras who was 5 at the time, seeing this, being amazed and starting to try this type of stuff growing up. Now in the NHL, he's implementing it just like his similarly-aged peers.

[@Mandolorian1001]

Once again proving how underrated Leon is, matthews and makar were listed first here

[@nedcramdon1306]

I just went to the NHL website for a few seconds to see who was playing, and what is the first recommendation on KZbin? They watch your every move!

[@Semaj2326]

I really like the influx of skill into the NHL. It's really cool to see the plays that McDavid and Zegras are able to make. However I still like to see grit and defense in the game. When I look at a lot of the rule changes in hockey and in sports in general it's starting to annoy me that every change seems to revolve around creating more offense. It feels like nowadays people can't appreciate a good defensive stuggle or a good goaltender's duel, probably because the younger generation seems to not have the attention span for it. Like I was cool with baseball having wider bases and a pitch clock, but to tell players where they can and can't stand? Like I was cool with increasing scoring when Jamie Benn won the Art Ross with 87 points but I don't want it to get to a point where every game is 6-5.

[@hockeypsychology]

Good point. I think the game goes through swings. 5-10 years where offence dominates, then another 5 years where systems and teams catch up, adjust & then defensively the game gets a lot tighter. And while I do think the game is in a massive offensive & creative swing, the best teams are still the ones that have the grit & defence to withstand 4 rounds in the playoffs. Thanks for commenting!

[@Semaj2326]

@@hockeypsychology I'm not so sure about that. I'm not sure if you follow the Athletic but I read their articles about hockey and after the Zegras Terry controversy in the spring there were people in the comments section saying that fighting should be banned from hockey. I also see people saying that the reason why hockey isn't as popular as basketball is because "the refs aren't strict enough about calling penalties in the playoffs" and "Basketball actually protects its stars" when in reality in the playoffs they do this in every sport, I was watching the Sixers play the Raptors in the playoffs and they literally said it on the broadcast. Watch any NFL playoff game and it's pretty obvious the refs do this too. They blame this style of officiating literally every time there's an upset in the playoffs. These complaints calmed down a bit this year because there weren't very many upsets in the playoffs but when Winnipeg swept Edmonton and Montreal beat Toronto in 2021 it was a cesspool. There's a thing on there called "Rules court" where they were even suggesting to have icing for the team that's killing penalties. It's obvious these people have never done anything Athletic in their life.

[@sean4699]

How did they increase scoring

[@unclejake1476]

@@sean4699 Exactly! No one “increased scoring”. It’s just that the change in how we develop our young players has drastically changed with the introduction of the ADM. Those changes are starting to be seen at the highest levels of play. People say there is less checking. There isn’t, it’s just that the skill level has increased making checking harder for the defenseman.

[@hypn0298]

@@hockeypsychology yep. 1995-2004 was a heavily defense-centered era (dead puck era). 2005-present has been a lot higher scoring

[@mudaemma]

The increase in skills are fantastic however I’d like to see the goons come back

[@floxy20]

No room on the rosters for them. Teams need 4 lines.

[@Matanumi]

not a chance- a goon takes one bad shot and its 5 and a game then BOOM just like that your team lost the series after leading.

[@gilbertg7]

I had stopped watching hockey for a couple of decades between 1995 and 2015. When I got back to it, I had a shock. I've seen the super Montréal Canadiens of the 70's and the Islander's dynasty along with Canada-USSR series and the Canada Cups. I believe those great Canadian and Russian teams would have a hard time against the teams of today

[@nap871]

The players of yesteryear had far inferior skates in the 70s and 80s. Big factor what you can do. Bobby Orr would have skated like these modern players.

[@greatboozard467]

I honestly think this will make that one super heavy line on alot teams even more important because they can change the game with a big hit or forechecking really hard to change the momentum of a game.

[@deanschulze3129]

Not only are the players more skilled, but they are bigger and probably on average faster than in the past. The change I would love to see in the NHL is to go to Olympic size ice. The larger surface would let the speed and skill stand out even more. That would be a huge change, but I think it would really help the game.

[@jasonsabourin2275]

Why stop there?.... Make the Rinks the size of Soccer fields....Take out Off Sides, Double the size of the nets, etc....

[@deanschulze3129]

@@jasonsabourin2275 - Because that would be idiotic. Have you ever seen a game played on an international size rink?

[@StoneSlumber]

The change in equipment is no small part of this. You could not do the quick drag release shots with the "one size fits all" chunks of lumber that passed as hockey sticks in the past. Same improvements have gone into skates etc...

[@rogerpowers3891]

Great point on the difference between good and great players. There are actually many AHL players who are more skilled or are better skaters than many guys in the NHL, but they don’t think the game the same way or apply their skills at the right time. Many people overlook that.

[@thewalkingdunning-krugeref9664]

Great analysis, and yeah the game is only going to get more ridiculous (in a good way). Btw, is Sean Avery involved in this "Hockey Helps the Homeless" charity?

[@11DariusKasparaitis]

Found you on insta big fan of your content helps me try and improve my game

[@billboggs6641]

Every generation has its phenomenal players. That will never change. And you can't compare a guy from the 60's to a guy from 2022. Their star staus is relevant to the era in which they played

[@akki40000]

Specially that the stars in 22 compared to the 60s have all the inovation and change that the previous all stars player bring to the game. From crease goal rules to elimanation of the double line pass, going with the "invention" of the slapshot to the interdiction for goaltender to go in the conner. All those change and inovation change the game and how player practice and develope their skill.

[@Hellosecsi]

@@akki40000 I think we can say the older generations of players would not do well today but how would today's superstars do in the old NHL game where toughness was more of a factor?

[@DA12ECKLESS]

Ive thought to myself that very question, even when i was young i knew all the moves were absolutely repeatable in game. But i also knew that going against my coaches wishes normally means im a bad player.

[@thrash208]

Ive been warching hockey for decades and ive never seen talent like this. Its a great time to be a hockey fan.

[@SexGiantStudio]

Intersting video! I am from Europe and to be honest in first part you said about new rule but in Europe I never hear about new rule. Its intersting because in local league I can not see really telanted players

[@MitchellCrier]

Well conducted video. Nice job

[@vargviper7192]

Each generation is influenced by those who came before. A few #9's along with 99, 66, 68, 4, 10, 18, 21, 14, 11, and 27 came before Sid and Ovie and likely influenced their play. Yes, the current game has far more high-end skilled players than years past but don't forget the influence of those players and the fact that the NHL is far beyond the Original 6 and the game in general has grown in participation level around the world. Speed shreds and it is hard to stop what you cannot catch especially when you are not allowed to clutch and grab.

[@iso33]

As much as I like the elevated level of skill that’s going to keep increasing, it does scare me. I’m trying to go to the league someday, and I think if I aim for the current nhl and that’s my goal, I’ll be cooked

[@hockeypsychology]

Having goals like that are great but they can be discouraging at times.. understand that is your long term goal but focus on doing the daily things every day to get better. Focus on constant improvement & understanding that it is a process to get better. We can only focus on what we can control, everything else is external & a waste of positive energy. Keep working on your game everyday & aim to get 1% better at something every day. Do that over a course of years, and you will find yourself in a much better position mentally & physically

[@iso33]

@@hockeypsychology I try to practice around 4 hours a day for that specific reason. I’m gonna try to take the juniors route, since I think that will help me the most developmentally, and then see where I can go from there. But I’ve never been discouraged or demotivated for any reason, and all I can do is work harder

[@dylanrobertson4517]

How you gonna play in the nhl... you play to much video games..

[@jasonsabourin2275]

2 Things.... Work on Skating, ALL THE TIME!...... AND Take the BODY!!!! If you can do those two things well, you can GO ANYWHERE YOU WANT, there is NO ONE(well, almost no one) in the league who can do those things Consistently, don't worry about the other things, if you can do those 2 things well, and be Consistent with them you've got NO Worries.....Take It, It's YOURS, Why Not?.....Push EVERYONE Out of Your Way.... Why Should You Have to Settle for Less?...🤨 Make it Happen. 😉 👍

[@iso33]

@@dylanrobertson4517 I haven’t touched video games in like 8 months. Even when I did I barely played, so I stopped

[@anthonyteichroeb917]

The biggest question for me is "how does this impact the future?" and Goalies will have to Evolve as a result.. or we are headed back to an 80's era of high end firepower and higher scoring games. I would love to see Goalies allowed to handle the puck like they do in soccer. If Smith or Brodeur was 23 now? That'd add a whole new element. I'm excited.

[@Hellosecsi]

I miss goalies playing the puck. Stupid trapezoid.

[@treygray2817]

I think this is the reason players are retiring at relatively young ages. They can't keep up with the influx of skill.

[@hockeypsychology]

Good point. Especially with Subban & Chara retiring today. I was shocked when I heard Subban was retiring. He isn’t the D he was but he could still play

[@treygray2817]

@@hockeypsychology Chara and Yandle were really bad. Subban still had some value. Let's see what transpires with Thornton

[@hypn0298]

Only Jagr could keep playing with the young ones 😂 (1990-2018 nhl career)

[@bc1173]

They can keep up with the skill, they can't keep with the speed. Players also retire earlier because the money is so high that they can afford to, and they lack the ambition to continue to put in the work necessary to be a great player when they've already been paid 10 lifetimes worth of money.

[@danielgraham8559]

This move started with the Russian players that came into the league when the Cold War ended. Federov, Bure, Mogiliny among others changed the landscape which set the stage for Crosby et all in the early 2000s

[@jasonsabourin2275]

Yeah, we won the "Cold War", but Body Checking Style Lost.

[@sibbyeskie]

Equipment and training material is just growing and honestly in 10 years there will likely be a way to download information into your brain, or at least run realistic VR reps for all sorts of situations. What I’m saying is we never fully see how technology shapes future athletes. Even television in the 70s elevated athletes from that era. Trust me we haven’t seen anything near peak performance yet.

[@generalthunder5796]

The people who are complaining about things like lacrosse style goals and passes and skilled plays like that would have been the same people complaining about making the sticks curved 60 years ago. That being said I do like the physical aspect of the game and would like to see more hits and players get more instigator penalties for attacking a player who landed a hard, clean hit. You can go right ahead and protect your teammates when someone bodies them into dust, but expect to get an instigator penalty.

[@hockeypsychology]

Great point

[@hypn0298]

I remember back in the late 2000s and early 2010s those retaliatory hits started getting really common after teammates got hit hard.

[@jaynecobb5774]

LOVE the way things are going. So much better.

[@JohnB-mo4kq]

The game has definitely changed, but you can't argue with overall points. They haven't necessarily skyrocketed, and no one has touched Gretzky yet. The only thing we're starting to see is the game opening up for smaller skilled players. Remember when Gretzkys teammates would purposely take a penalty so he had more room on the ice? The NHL basically took one for the team by making less space in the neutral zone.

[@Matanumi]

Gretzky was also in an high scoring era with no butterfly styles and stackless pad goalies. I'd argue Gretzky would have to change his game or not score nearly as much these days.

[@youknowwhatimean2680]

One more thing about game changing, it's a equipment evolution, new skates, new sticks and all this stuff. And also smaller goalie equipment. All of these things do impact on the game

[@hockeypsychology]

Great point.

[@AvAlanchian]

I’m totally stoked where the game is. I “grew up” watching Peter the Great Forsberg getting smoked in the neutral zone because of less space and two-line pass rules - he would have excelled in the new open game

[@donpietruk1517]

Same with Fedorov, Joe Sakic. Also could you imagine Super Mario in today's league? Could anyone stop him?

[@lorenmcmann8665]

If you do anything long enough you become better the more you play the better you get ,then you practice the impossible until it's possible those are the goals that make you great

[@Neveri93]

These days we actually have so much data where coaches can base the training and practice drills. It's drastically different from f. ex. the early 2000's hockey. Datsyuk was a phenomenon on how he moved the puck and himself on ice and probably the best at it. Now it slowly starts to be the standard for the best offensive players. Recently we had Erik Karlsson who set the new standard to defence and all of a sudden theres Makar who does even more. The change in the game is insanely fast and it surely is exciting to watch.

[@omygodish3]

Awesome for including the sisters love them

[@Neonator08]

The Oilers TRIED to do this and succeeded for a while in the 1980s. The clutching and grabbing was just so insane but they still left their mark

[@Hellosecsi]

No team that wins doesn't use intimidation. The teams that win are often very dirty and the refs give them the benefit of the doubt.

[@X-MaN.87]

Solo skills and basics like strength, skating, stick handling, shooting, receiving/passing pucks + tricks are nice and you need them, but when you got them; teamwork makes the dream work. The puck is the fastest thing on the ice; let it work for you.. And while defending you just need to stay at your positions (more or less; in your zone but always keep moving). And always keep it fun and fair because at the end of the day your opponents are friends too.. The main goal is to evolve as a species/the human race. We have to be better than we are because we have to make this world worth living/loving in and it's worth fighting for.

[@hayezmohairbi]

No doubt skilled players are exciting to watch but what can stop or excel them is the competition of players that they put them with. So I guess what we see right now is the impact of a select combination of different players put to gather. There for based on that you will see variants strategies of goals that each line does.

[@dronlaa]

I think Pavel Bure took speed and skills to the next level before Sid and Ovi

[@doublestrokeroll]

And before that it seemed like it was Guy Lafleur. It's just evolution. This video overstates it a bit too much. There is always someone pushing the boundaries in those terms.

[@sangyoonkim2540]

Your hockey chanel is one of my favroiete

[@michaelkogut6711]

I’d bet a lot of these new generation players grew up playing the golden generation of NHL video games. EASHL hockey was honestly revolutionary, it was such a creative playground for hockey fans.

[@sheddingmyvelvet]

i wish hockey's future would have a little bit of everything. skill, enforcing, goaltending, everything that has made the game great in the past. if everyone was skilled, no one would be

[@hockeypsychology]

Agreed

[@jeremy1234823]

Excellent video!

[@hockeypsychology]

Thank you for watching!

[@jim_again2245]

To be honest I miss the days of bench clearing brawls and consistent hitting, although the skills are amazing I just think we are passed the sweat spot of skill/grit. Personally I thought it started to fall off when they changed the rule where you couldn't beat out an icing.

[@hockeypsychology]

I miss those days too. Certainly was entertaining to watch. However, people would argue the opposite now. Either way, I think the game needs a balance of both

[@treygray2817]

@@hockeypsychology Our culture has shifted to the degree where bench clearing brawls would be deemed unacceptable by the general public. And this is coming from a guy who prefers 'old-school' hockey.

[@ronryan7398]

Too many players were getting hurt crashing into the boards.

[@ronryan7398]

When the Habs beat the Flyers in 76’ in was the most beautiful thing in hockey history. The 5 players on the Flyers and the 16 goons getting taken out to the woodshed by that excellent (possibly the best ever) Habs team, saved hockey as a sport. I’ll take 5 minutes of McDavid over the entire career of Dave Schultz. If giving up the bench clearing brawls is the price, I’ll gladly pay it.

[@unclejake1476]

@@ronryan7398 This! You grow up playing hockey, developing and dreaming of the show only to realize your only path to the game is your fists.

[@cybertaniwha]

MY only complaint about the ever increasing speed of the game, is that it has prevented some great junior goalies from ever reaching the top teir. It comes down to one simple genetic trait. If you don't fill out the goal, if your not over 6'2" your not even looked at anymore. You will never see a goalie under 6foot recruited in this modern era. Size matters and the reason is you need the reach, the spread the ability to remove as much scoring space as possible, to give you the goaltender the best chance to stop the puck. Speed = less processing time for both player and goalie. Who do you think needs more processing time, the effector of the shot or the reactor to the shot. Some of the shots seen today are just insane and its blind luck / intuition or instinct most of the time that saves the puck going in.

[@bc1173]

The game is getting smaller, not bigger. Most forwards coming into the league are under 6'2".

[@ScoobiezDew]

I love the fact its becoming more skill based. However, I do not like the way its going when it comes to the extremely soft calls when someone gets hip checked or flattened simply because they have their heads down. I like that aspect of the game and its diminishing fast. because we forget that they are playing a full contact sport.

[@janne5942]

Should be more rougher and more hits, if it starts to be just a skill based competition without any contact i say fu** this time for me to watch something else.

[@Matanumi]

Yeah its really bad in the IIHF (Canada and USA are straight up disadvantaged from this) and its pretty much the reason why women's hockey is such an inferior sport

[@MrSt0008]

I'm not denying the current and upcoming players are very skilled ; however , their sticks are way better, as well. There are a lot more players able to snip the puck into various areas of the net partly to do huge advancements in the lightness, and flexibility of sticks.

[@markurso6420]

As much as I loved hockey in the 70's (started watching in 1968!), these players today are far more skilled, have harder shots, skate like the wind and are taller/bigger so, enjoying the game now more (plus, no brawls or players climbing into the stands to fight anymore!)

[@weskentner8037]

More skilled my ass. Hockey IQ is so poor now u see mistakes every other second

[@markurso6420]

@@weskentner8037 mistakes are due to sloppiness and not following what they were taught in practice in college, juniors, minors or the pro level.

[@brandona7206]

Expert analysis 👍

[@brucegemmell730]

Love the skill. Can’t get enough. Watch out for Antonio Stranges

[@endthefed_1913]

Absolutely fantastic!

[@chosen729]

Yeah the only way to defend skill and speed it seems. Is with skill and speed. Watching Makar shut down McDavid in the semi finals last year was a thing of beauty.

[@robertshaughnessy5050]

D man the best was Bobby Orr. From the 60's and 70's and he wore much heavier equipment.

[@jonhawkins7510]

Bobby Orr was doing this 45 years ago. And he wasn't the only one.

[@hugh2hoob668]

Old days defenseman were allowed to hook and hold more too though

[@moseslee87]

the Datsyuk McDavid fade transition was clean

[@hockeypsychology]

Glad you noticed that 😉

[@xxkillazzzb8505]

I mean damn. I can't imagine the kids that idolized the Mcdavid/Matthews/Makar era

[@danstaneckyj7854]

the players are so much faster today, they pirouette like a ballerina and so good on their edges, very hard to line up players for hits that scott stevens used to dish out, just getting faster and faster.

[@hockeypsychology]

100%

[@Hellosecsi]

But if someone figures out how to hit them, it's gonna be messy.

[@redber16]

McDavid's skill was not learned. Some people r born with great abilities and master them. I don't believe you can train and teach a kid if it's not within them.

[@hockeypsychology]

Interesting point that’s debated a ton. Are people born with these skills? While I do think to an extent there’s skills & advantages were born with, I don’t think you can get to that level without a ridiculous amount of hours out into training & practice

[@shuki1]

His skills were learned but the situational awareness and sixth sense to see around the defense is hard to learn because it's also very hard to teach if the junior player does not have it naturally.

[@redber16]

@@hockeypsychology you can master anything. But people aren't robots. Some things are innate I think.

[@DevWil]

It feels like hockey is at a really interesting moment, but I'm biased as someone who is falling back in love with it after roughly a decade away. If the Crosby/Ovechkin era rule changes got rid of the clutch and grab era of hockey, it unfortunately also seemed to lead to a "Speed Kills" era, which is part of what put me off of the game. The speed of the game was increased without necessary safety precautions also being introduced, which feels like it caused a huge increase in concussions and similar injuries (though I'm sure we were also just better at not ignoring them). Eventually, the NHL took safety more seriously and FINALLY implemented a version of no-touch icing, and it's led the the higher-skill version of the game we see now. And I love it. I loved Lemieux's Penguins as a kid, Crosby's Penguins as a teen, and now it feels like almost half the teams in the league have one or two players who aren't just goal scorers but true superstars who are incredibly dominant and fun to watch. Skillful hockey is just such a spectacularly beautiful thing to watch. I'm always a big fan of the guys who block shots and win battles in the corners, but amazing passing and unbelievable stickhandling are good for the game. It creates Harlem Globetrotters-like moments in actual competition, which is all you can ask from a spectator sport.

[@Onlytheclouds]

I recently learned that they don’t even let kids hit in AAA hockey anymore. Mind blowing tbh.

[@joe-ey9ir]

What? Idk where you heard that but AAA hockey definitely allows hitting. At least where I live.

[@leeward6762]

You should mention #99 in every hockey video, I'm pretty sure it's a law in Canada.

[@neonbootygoon4385]

I fucking love it. Skill is what i watch for, not the fights. The fights have a use, but they're not good really, if i want fights ill watch UFC. Big hits are still there, but generally a bit cleaner. This all leads to more skill and being able to watch the insane shit we're seeing is so great, keep it coming!

[@zzzzzz-rn3oh]

A couple of those things you showed that people never did I saw Yzerman do those a long time ago.

[@jasonsabourin2275]

I Stopped Watching Hockey 5 or 6 Years Ago, I Had Been Watching it For Almost 40yrs.

[@Andrew.Griffin]

I'm still waiting for the time when players, and maybe even pass, the puck like in lacrosse. I think that is one of the next big revolutionary steps that will lead to records being broken. $0.02

[@timothywright778]

Do you think creativity will increase at an even faster rate because coaches in youth leagues see that players like Zegras can be effective in the NHL? Maybe thr coaches will encourage trying to be more creative in games? I have never been on a team so I don't know if the coaches discourage young players from trying things like the "Michigan" in games.

[@theoldboy70]

That’s called evolution my good man, the same type of evolution that brought us all here today. Hockey F’n rules!!!!!

[@dankykang2429]

its almost like watching Basketball on ice. the entire middle of the ice neglected. i miss the rough stuff and the fighting. i used to watch every game now i even skip most of my own teams regular season.

[@Ohhighbud]

Forgot the #1 thing,,, all the money behind these players. Imagine the number of players who may have the world's best skillset, but we'll never know their names because they couldn't afford to get into the sport.

[@Insignia6]

Great analysis

[@hockeypsychology]

Thanks for watching

[@jackyl8259]

It doesn't matter how great the game is now or how it gets as time goes on the best players are the ones who started and built the foundation for how the game is played today. BOBBY ORR, MIKE BOSSEY, GORDIE HOWE, WAYNE GRETZKY, MARIO LEMIEUX, JAROMIR JAGR, GILBERT PERREAULT, MARCEL DIONNE, ROCKET RICHARD, YVAN COURNOYER, DARYL SITTLER, these are just some of the greats that brought the game to the high level it's at today.

[@salianni16]

There are some great skilled players in today's game and most of them were featured in the video, except for Mitch Marner. Marner may be the best passer in the NHL today. When he has the puck, his speed, hockey sense, and creativity are off the charts. His defensive game is beginning to evolve as well as he is also being used more on the PK, where he instantly becomes the most dangerous player on the ice. In tonight's game, he even played defense! I look for him to have a big season this year both offensively (100+ points is possible) and defensively (the Selke trophy is also possible).

[@bc1173]

Marner straight up disappears when the game gets emotional, physical and competitive. Have you watched him in his playoff career? He's a below average player in the playoffs.

[@WhiteDevilU91]

Just have to avoid turning hockey into basketball. I love watching the skill game, but I do miss the physical play, guys like Kronwall and prime Lucic when he was in Boston. The game is being softened due to CTE and concussion knowledge now, and Bettman has said he wants to clean up the game so it will be more marketable too. I'll watch either way, but yeah, I miss the goons.

[@snapjackal]

I'll never stop being thankful for the nullification of the two-line pass.

[@bawarl6584]

I know my coach has been teaching us the new shot that Matthew's has been doing when changing the angle

[@hockeypsychology]

Yup. Player development will only get more & more involved

[@matt75hooper]

You didn't mention the space age new equipment. Skates, gloves , sticks. The 3 most important pieces of equipment. They've changed drastically over the decades. Heavy leather gloves are now nylon that weigh ounces. Skates, oven baked for form fitting with enough support to hold 350 pounds. Sticks now made of one piece composite material. Ultra light & shoots like a Howitzer. Add to that 1000 instructional videos & 1000 hockey camps. The skills are getting jaw dropping.

[@davidly4083]

Ah yes, the X-factor.. A mcdavid with Truculence!

[@josephtaylor3857]

Before Crosby and Ovechkin, there were 99 and 66. Before them was 9 and 4.

[@hockeypsychology]

Exactly

[@SofaKingWeTodd]

Cale Makar is the best to watch. Such a skilled skater, he looks like a basketball player almost the way he handles the puck. He seems more comfortable on skates than I do on my feet on land lmao.

[@gdriscoll4947]

Once the playoffs start it’s no longer a skilled game. The reason why we see so many more fancy plays is because players don’t go for big hits as much in the regular season. Players aren’t looking to injure each other until the playoffs.